The Cleveland Cavaliers' offseason has been arguably one of the more underwhelming in the NBA this summer so far. With over a month since the first day of free agency started, the Cavs have not signed a single free agent.
Seemingly out of nowhere, though, the Cleveland Cavaliers and star big man Jarrett Allen agreed to a contract extension. That will add three more years to his contract, giving him a total of five years left on his current contract.
Now, Jarrett Allen is a great player, and has been one of the best rim-running big men for a few years now. He's also been a fan favorite in Cleveland. But is this newly signed contract too rich for the Cavaliers? A $91 million for three seasons is a lot of money to hand out with the new CBA in place.
The elephant in the room still has not been fixed. The Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley pairing in the frontcourt has not gone away. Both Mobley and Allen play better when the other is off of the floor. Allen was phenomenal when Mobley was out with an injury in the regular season, and Mobley was also great when Allen was hurt in the playoffs.
Luckily for the Cavs, though, it seems that Evan Mobley has made it a priority to add a better jumpshot to his arsenal, something that could make the pairing much more effective. The shooting from the other players on the roster could help, as well.
Cleveland's frontcourt fit
An even bigger issue than the fit between the two big men is the payroll the Cavaliers have now. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley both signed for lucrative contracts, and Darius Garland's deal is not small, either. With this move, the Cavs are going to be extremely close to the second apron of the salary cap.
The Cavs have some notable free agents next season, too. Caris LeVert is an expiring contract, as is Sam Merrill. Not to mention, if Isaac Okoro accepts his qualifying offer, it will make him an unrestricted free agent next offseason. LeVert is a likely name to be moved, now that Jaylon Tyson proved in the Summer League he is deserving of meaningful minutes.
Now, back to Jarrett Allen's contract. This contract will end at his age 31 season when he should still be very impactful. He could also be moved next offseason, where his $20 million salary could be easily matched if the Cavs do not believe he is the correct player for their team.
Now, even with all of those worrying points when it comes to his contract, his new deal is still a bargain nonetheless. An All-Star caliber player signing for that number is great for the Cleveland Cavaliers, considering 49 players are making $30 million or more next season alone.